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Welcome to Life Images by Jill

Welcome to Life Images by Jill.........Stepping into the light and bringing together the images and stories of our world.Through my blog I am seeking to preserve images and memories of the beautiful world in which we live and the people in it. I am a Freelance Journalist and Photographer based in Bunbury, Western Australia. My published work specialises in Western Australian travel articles and stories about inspiring everyday people. My passion is photography, writing, travel, wildflower and food photography. I hope you enjoy scrolling through my blog. To visit other pages, please click on the tabs above, or go to my Blog Archive on the side bar. Please feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of any of my posts. I value your messages and look forward to hearing from you.If you like my work, and would like to buy a print, or commission me for some work, please go to my "contact me" tab. Thank you for visiting my blog and helping me "step into the light".

Photo albums or photo books are a great way to have a
permanent record of your trip. They can become coffee table books to be picked
up and thumbed through and shared. Have you ever made a photo book? Yes they
can be expensive, but infinitely rewarding. (hmm…note to self – start making
photo book of our South Australia trip last year!). There are quite a few on-line services where you can make photo books.

But what good are photos sitting on a computer hard-drive?
And worse still maybe be lost in a computer crash. A good reason to back up
your hard drive. Do you back up? How often do you back up? I should do it every
month, but in reality it might be 2 or 6 months or even 12 months – not good
enough! We are often reminded that “it is not if a hard drive will crash, it is
when”. (another note to self – time to back up again!)

Re-fuelled by that enormous burger in Hawker,
and after replenishing our supplies, we climbed back into our 4WD and headed
north again into the Flinders Ranges National Park to Wilpena Pound.

Wilpena is very popular with people
visiting the Flinders Ranges and as we arrived latish in the day we couldn’t
get a powered site, but we were not really worried as we have solar panels that
charge up our camper batteries.We could
select our own site, which were not so crammed together as the powered sites
(another bonus) and chose one sheltered by some trees and overlooking a rehabilitation area. Nice. We could
see kangaroos grazing amongst the trees only about 30 metres from our camper. We put up our
full annex as we booked in for 3 nights – it gives us a bit more private space
and the wind had come up strong during the afternoon.

We woke up next day to a fine clear
morning, and put a load of washing into the washing machine before breakfast, and got organised to go for a bush walk. We had studied our guide the night before and worked out what we wanted to do while we were here.

There are 18 walk and hiking trails in the
Flinders Ranges, some of which are easily accessed from the Wilpena Pound camp
ground. Once the washing was on the line we drove to the Arkaroo Rock Hike
about 17km south of Wilpena. Here there is a 3km return walk to see some
Adnyamathanha aboriginal rock paintings under a rock overhang which are best
seen in morning light. These ochre and charcoal drawings depict aspects of Ura Muda (dreaming) for Ikara (Wilpena). They have been enclosed in a wire enclosure to protect
them from graffiti. Sad that this has had to be done, but at least they are now
being protected and preserved. The Adnyamathanha people are the traditional
custodians of the Flinders Ranges.

Hubbie likes taking photos of lizards - you can see one in the collage below...

After lunch, we followed a 116km scenic loop drive through the Ranges which brought us to some lookouts with magnificent
views and we checked out a few of the bush camping sites.

We also visited Aroona
Hut built in 1925 from typical pine and pug construction. The Australian landscape artist, Sir Hans Heysen’s used
to often come to paint. You can see his inspiration in the magnificent river
gums and the Flinders Ranges.

Parts of the long distance Heysen walk trail
meanders through the Flinders Ranges.

On the way back from camp we saw lots of
emus with chicks in the grasslands by the roadside.

Our second night was very cold and the wind
was up so we put on our thermals and were in bed by 8.30pm. A bit different to
the heat we’d had on the Oodnadatta Track!

Next morning we rose early and were on the
7.8km return Wangara Lookout Hike by 8am. This trail starts near the Wilpena
camp ground. It was a lovely cool morning for walking. The first part is easy
going and it was very pleasant walking on the flat trail beside the creek under
the Red River Gums and I was delighted to be able to take some wildflower
photos.

The trail takes you to the old stone-built Hills Homesteadbuilt in the early 1900sby early settlers, the Hill's family. As well as the history of farming in the area you can learn about the creation of the Flinders through aboriginal dream-time stories.

From here there is a rocky path to the lookout. There is a lower lookout 300 metres from
the homestead, and an upper lookout 300 metres further up. Both lookouts give
you magnificent views over the Wilpena Pound, known as Ikara by the Adnyamathanha people. The Pound itself is a huge natural
amphitheatre 11km long and 5km wide. Surrounded by ranges, the highest point is
St Mary Peak, 1170 metres high and the highest peak in South Australia.

My photos certainly don't come close to portraying the grandeur of Wilpena Pound.

A shuttle bus can take you the first 2km
along the trail if you wish, but it is an easy walk. We decided that we didn’t
need to do the more strenuous St Mary Peak walk to see the Pound and views of
the Flinders Ranges. 22km and 9 hours, you would need a reasonable level of
fitness to do this hike.

After lunch we drove out to Stokes Hill lookout
about 20kmnorth east of Wilpenawhere you have magnificent 360 views
over the rolling green hillsides at the base of the Flinders Ranges. We took
quite a few photos in the changing light.Surprisingly I thought it looked a little like an English countryside postcard.Here there is a base relief sculpture which
gives you a good perspective of the Ranges.

Along the way we stopped at Cazneaux Tree. This magnificent River Red Gum was first
made famous by photographer Harold Cazneaux, who won first prize at an
International Photographic Exhibition in 1937 with his photograph of the tree,
which he entitled “The Spirit of Endurance”.You can see my pic below!

On the way back we viewed the Artists of
the Flinders Art Exhibition at the old Wipena Woolshed. (Sadly all the paintings
I would have bought had already been purchased – not that I would have known
how we were going to transport a painting for the rest of our trip!)

I hope you have enjoyed this brief look at
Wilpena Pound. You could spend months exploring the Flinders Ranges. Unfortunately
we only had time to scratch the surface.However we really enjoyed our short stay and could have easily stayed
longer to do more of the walks. From here we will head south to Burra via Hawker,
Quorn, Cradock and Carrieton, and then to Clare wine region, and the next part
of our trip through South Australia.

Some
info: ………..

The Flinders Ranges National Park is one of
South Australia’s iconic destinations. It covers 95,000 hectares of the central
Flinders Ranges, approximately 450km north of Adelaide.

Camp sites at Wilpena Pound are suitable
for tents, camper trailers, motorhomes and caravans.You can buy basic supplies, drinks, snacks, and
souvenirs from the shop adjacent to the Visitor Information Centre.

You can enjoy a meal at the Wilpena Pound Resort restuarant.

Walks and hikes range from 500 metres to 31km,
including guided walks and challenging overnight treks. Please refer to
brochures and information boards regarding distances, level of fitness required
and degree of difficulty.

The long distant Heysen walking trail stretches
1200km from the tip of the Fleurieu Peninsular in the south to Parachilna Gorge
in the Flinders Ranges. The 900km Mawson mountain bike trail runs from Adelaide
through the Flinders to Blinman.

Monday, 17 March 2014

For those of you who are regular visitors to my blog you may recall that last year I was writing posts about our South Australian trip last year.

If you remember we were heading from north to south following the Oodnadatta Track and the old Ghan railway line. I just realised that I left you all at Marree at the end of
the Oodnadatta Track in South’s Australia’s outback in December! Sorry! You wouldn’t want to spend summer out
there with the heat, wind, dust and flys, so we had better move on!

After having morning tea in a shady park in Maree we continued
south. We stopped in Lyndhurst to have
lunch on the verandah of the community hall and discovered that we had a flat
tyre on the camper trailer – it possibly happened at that one last railway siding ruin at Farina that I
wanted to stop and look at!

Please click on "read more" to keep reading and see more pics! see you there!

Sunday, 9 March 2014

A few weeks ago a friend brought me a huge bag of plums fresh picked from an orchard - firm, with a sweet-sharp taste - delicious.

(I had a bit of a problem with the on-line photo editor this morning) so I made this collage free hand in Photoshop Elements. I didn't realise you could drag different pics into one image in Elements - but it worked ok)

I decided to make a plum tart. I had seen a few blog posts recently about "galette" which is a French term for a rustic free form tart, so I decided to make one. It really is a simple pie to make and you can use just about any sort of fruit, or make a savoury galette.

Please click on "read more" to keep reading and see more pics! see you there!

Sunday, 2 March 2014

Hi everyone, and welcome back. I have been so busy of late I missed posting last week....something just had to give! Do you get like that sometimes? Anyways, here I am back again - and rest assured I have still been out there taking photos and writing.

Do you like my new header? I decided to have a change from the roses that I have had there "forever" and go for something bright, and cheerful and summery. I have been photographing these sunflowers in all their stages over a couple of weeks - aren't they beautiful? I will be blogging about them later.

Unbelievability we are into March and I am already 60 days into my 365 Project which I started on 1 January. You can see the beginnings of my project by clicking here - Summer and 2014 begins

Please click on "read more" to keep reading and see more pics! see you there!

About Me

I completed a Higher Diploma of Advanced Freelance Journalism with the Australian College of Journalism and started writing freelance in 2002. I have had articles published in Australian Coast & Country, Go Camping Australia, On The Road, Flourish, Perth Vita, Australian Vital, Australian Photography, Western Angler, Homes and Living, Great Walks magazine, RRR Network News (for rural, remote and regional women in Western Australia), South Culture magazine and Bunbury's South Western Times newspaper. I completed the WA Holiday Specialist Training Programme run by Tourism Western Australia and attended several Summer School photography courses at University of Western Australia Extension, and a Bunbury TAFE Digital Photography course. I have completed several on line photography courses, and contribute to Digital Photography School, Flickr, and Getty Images.
I am a member of the Photography Group of Bunbury, The WA Photographic Federation, South Side Quills and the Fellowship of Australian Writers WA.
I enjoy photographing our magnificent country and seek to continually improve. I hope you enjoy my writing and photography.

Links to my web pages

Tour Western Australia - Come for a drive with me!

Come with me on a 52 week tour around Western Australia. Click on the photo to go to my page Tour Western Australia and follow me over 52 weeks as I take you on a tour around our magnificent state of Western Australia in words and pictures.

Photographing wildflowers

The Blue Leschenaultia is just one Western Australia's thousands of amazing wildflowers. Spring is my favourite time but walking through the bush at any time of year you will find something flowering. If you would like to see more of my wildflower images, please click on this photo to take you to my Flickr site. If you see any images that you wish to purchase, please contact me

My Flickr Photo Page

Getty Images

I am now a contributor to Getty Images, through an invitation through Flickr. Click on the image to go to the linlk.

FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY

To keep up with my latest food images please click on this image to go to my Flickr food page. If you see something you like, or would like me to do some food photography for you be it for your website, restaurant, magazine or cook book, please contact me.

Ferguson Valley Plated

In 2015 Jill was one of the food photographers for Ferguson Valley Plated, launched in October 2015, through a collaboration with Kim Wesley from Peppermint Lane Lodge.

The Runaway Quill

The Runaway Quill, which was launched in August 2016, is an anthology of writing from Bunbury's South Side Quills writers group, of which Jill is a member. Copies are $20. Please let me know if you would like to purchase one.

Against the Light 2015

Jill won the Against the Light 2015 photographic competition conducted by the WA Photographic Federation in September 2015 with this image seen on the cover of the book.

Photography Group of Bunbury Awards

2015 - 3rd place Photographer of the Year, Highly Commended Colour Image of the Year

Donnybrook-Balingup Shire 2016 calendar

Go Camping and 4WD Adventures Australia

My cover image from the Holland Track on the cover of Go Camping and 4WD Adventures Australia August-September 2013 edition. Please click on the image to go to my blog post about the Holland Track.

Go Camping Australia magazine

My cover image from the Great Central Road , Western Australia on the cover of Go Camping Australia magazine Feb-March 2013. Please clilck on the image to go to the Go Camping website.

Exploring WA's WIldflower Country

Jill's images are displayed on the front and back covers and inside. Edition 7, 2015.

Australian Coast &Country magazine

My cover image of the Thrombolites at Lake Clifton, Mandurah, West Australia. Australian Coast and Country magazine, Edition 1-2008

Communal Global

I am very excited to be invited to join the Communal Global community. Please click on the link below to see images from around the world from other contributors.

Communal Global

Life's Journey

It is not what life does to you that is important, but what you do with what life does to you. - Chinese saying.

Frangipani

This Frangipani in my garden has just started to flower after many years. Sometimes it can take years to create something beautiful. The journey can be as beautiful as the end result.

The sunshine in my life

My family and friends are the most precious part of my life. Like the sunflower the tiny pieces of our lives fit together to complete the whole. I thank them for their love, encouragement and support and for being the special people they are. This photo was taken in Monet's Garden at Giverney in France.

Footprints

You can always find something to photograph, like this trail we found on the beach in the Cape Range National Park. It's a snapshot of a life, just as special as our own.

Sturt Desert Pea

Sturt Desert Pea near Marble Bar in the Pibara.

Everlastings

White Wells, mid-west Western Australia

Eucalypt

Simplicity in the Dryandra Woodland, Western Austraia

Wreath Leschenaultia

This unique wildflower only grows in a small area of Western Australia. We saw this one along Sanderson Road in the Mid West.

Crimson Spider Orchid

Blue Lady Orchid

Donkey Orchid

We have a patch of bush near our home, where I search for wild orchids, like this donkey orchid.

Native Cornflower

Jibberding Nature Reserve, Western Australia

Leopard Orchid

Leopard Orchid seen along the old Ellensbrook Road near the historical Ellensbrook Homestead near Margaret River.

Boronia

Haddleton Nature Reserve, Western Australia

Wattle

The wattle must surely be the most widespread family of Australian Wildflowers, with 100's of varieties. This one was seen at Canna Dam in WA's midwest.

Southern Native Rose

Tuart Walk near Bunbury.

Goodenia

Great Northern Highway, Western Australia

Mulla Mulla

There are many varieties of Mulla Mulla. This delicate variety we found at the abandoned Ragged Hill Minesite, on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert in the Pilbara

Silver Cassia

A burst of yellow on the Morawa to Yalgoo Road in the Mid West.

Thank you....

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you have enjoyed seeing some of my world. Our connections enrich our lives through reaching out , seeing and understanding, learning from each other, having compassion, rejoycing, giving thanks, and experiencing the beautiful world in which we live and the people we meet along our journey. Thank you for joining me along my path.

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Digital Photography School

If you want to learn more about digital photography, work through tutorials, enter competitions, post your photos, have your photos critiqued, talk to other photographers, ask questions and get answers on just about anything about photography - here is the place for you - Digital Photography School. I have joined recently, it's free, and a great site. Click on the photo to enter or go to my website links.

Forever in our hearts

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For the love of flowers

I love photographing flowers - both in the wild and in my garden - so spring is my favourite time of year and the chance to go in search of wildflowers. Walking through the bush at any time of year you will find something flowering. If you would like to see some more of my flower photos please click on this photo to go to my Picasa site or scroll up the page to my Flickr page.

The Rose

The rose is the enduring symbol of love and friendship. It is also like the circle of life. It starts as a tiny bud that gradually unfolds, grows, changes, evolves, and then blooms to display its full potential and radiance. Just like our lives - as we grow and are nurtured, we gently unfold and reach the potential of our full bloom. Each step is precious and beautiful. As we look at the rose we can see on the outside that petals that have already evolved but in the centre is the life that is still to come to us if we open up our hearts and minds. When I photograph the rose I seek to capture its perfection and the inner beauty and promise of what is to come. If you would like to see some more of my rose photos click on the photo to go to my Picasa site.

Forever in my heart

My darling Dad passed away peacefully on 6 September 2014 after several weeks in hospital. It hurt me to watch him fade. I cried and cried, but I know he is back where he wanted to be - in those fields and paddocks with the love of his life, his wife, my mother. Forever united in love. You will be forever in my heart darling Dad. 26-8-1929 - 6-9-2014.

A tribute

On 26 February 2008, my daughter-in-law's mother died suddenly and unexpectedly from acute promyelocytic leukaemia. There is now a huge gap in the lives of her family. I know she is watching over them.